Ian McKellen on Stage – with Shakespeare, Tolkien and You

Ian McKellen on Stage – with Shakespeare, Tolkien and You!

Touring NZ To Raise Funds To Rebuild Christchurch’s Historic Isaac Theatre Royal
The Hobbit star Ian McKellen is downing his staff and pointy blue hat at weekends to perform a series of special one-man shows. With support from ASB Bank, Sir Ian will tour to 11 New Zealand centres to raise funds to restore Christchurch’s earthquake-damaged Isaac Theatre Royal.

Sir Ian is currently in New Zealand reprising his Oscar-nominated Gandalf in The Hobbit films and, direct from the Miramar studios, he will spend his weekends in May and June performing Ian McKellen on Stage at local theatres around the country. He opens in Stratford on Saturday 5 May before heading to Palmerston North, Hamilton, Tauranga, Nelson, Auckland, Christchurch, Wanaka, Hastings, Wellington and Carterton.

Ian McKellen on Stage is a new show, devised in part by the audience. In this unique fundraiser, you can ask any question at all about Sir Ian's work and life, as he retraces his journey from the north of England to the West End of London, to Broadway, Hollywood and to Middle Earth.
There will be chat, reminiscence, gossip and performances from his Shakespeare and Tolkien repertoire – with maybe a song and a chance to act with him onstage!
"Basically it will be a party. Do come!" Sir Ian says.
ASB Bank has agreed to support the New Zealand wide shows so that all income goes directly to fund the repair Christchurch’s Isaac Theatre Royal – which was badly damaged in the series of 2011 earthquakes.

“The last time I was on stage in New Zealand was at the Isaac Theatre Royal in Waiting for Godot,” Sir Ian says. “I love this beautiful old theatre and want to help restore it as soon as possible.”

Sir Ian is at home on any stage, whether for the UK National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company or on tour worldwide in plays ancient and modern.

Since The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the X-Men movies, he has played in Strindberg, Beckett, Chekhov, Shakespeare, Mark Ravenhill, Eduardo De Filippo - and as Widow Twankey in the pantomime Aladdin. In New Zealand he has toured as King Lear and as Gogo in Waiting for Godot. On television he was most recently seen achieving his ambition to act in Coronation Street.

Tickets for Ian McKellen on Stage around the country are $50* adults and $25* students/children (*plus service fees) and are on sale to the public from Friday 13 April. The tour is being supported by the arts festivals networks around New Zealand. For full tour details visit www.mckellen.com

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Ian McKellen on Stage – Schedule
Saturday 5 May 7.30pm: Kings Theatre, Stratford | Book at 06 765 8255 or www.ticketmaster.co.nz
Sunday 6 May 1.00pm: Centrepoint, Palmerston North | Book at Centrepoint 06 354 5740 or www.centrepoint.co.nz
Saturday 12 May 7.30pm: Clarence St Theatre, Hamilton | Book at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) or www.ticketek.co.nz
Sunday 13 May 2.00pm: Baycourt Theatre, Tauranga | Book at TicketDirect 0800 224 224 or www.ticketdirect.co.nz
Sunday 20 May 2.00pm & 7.30pm: Theatre Royal, Nelson | Book at TicketDirect 0800 224 224 or 03 548 3840 or www.ticketdirect.co.nz
Saturday 26 May 8.00pm: Q, Auckland | Book at Q 09 309 9771 or www.qtheatre.co.nz
Sunday 27 May 2.00pm: Q, Auckland | Book at Q 09 309 9771 or www.qtheatre.co.nz
Saturday 2 June 7.30pm: Aurora Centre, Christchurch | Book at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) or www.ticketek.co.nz
Saturday 9 June 7.30pm: Lake Wanaka Centre | Book by phoning 03 443 4172 or www.festivalofcolour.co.nz
Saturday 16 June 2.00pm: Hawkes Bay Opera House, Hastings | Book at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) or www.ticketek.co.nz
Sunday 10 June 2.00pm: Lake Wanaka Centre | Book by phoning 03 443 4172 or www.festivalofcolour.co.nz
Saturday 23 June 7.30pm: Opera House, Wellington | Book at Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) or www.ticketek.co.nz
Sunday 24 June 2.00pm: Events Centre, Carterton | Book at Dash Tickets 06 379 4082 or www.dashtickets.co.nz

The Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch
The 104-year old, ‘Grand Old Lady’ of Christchurch theatre survived the massive February 22 2011 earthquake and subsequent considerable aftershocks. Although insured for the majority of reinstatement works caused by earthquake damage, policy excess and some very necessary heritage restoration and improvement works must be paid for by the Theatre Royal Charitable Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation, who are now embarking on a challenging fund raising campaign to cover the additional costs of potentially $6 million. www.isaactheatreroyal.co.nz

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